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A new strain of Covid has been detected in dozens of Australians returning from overseas.
Queensland Health revealed on Thursday genome sequencing had confirmed Covid-positive arrivals to the state had the Papua New Guinea variant.
Of the 67 active Covid cases in Queensland, 42 are from PNG.
‘The COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation and as the pandemic is ongoing, we have continued to see new variants emerge, such as the UK and South African variants,’ Queensland Health said in a statement.
‘From 1 January to 25 March 2021 (6am) Queensland Health has been notified of 64 cases of Covid-19 in people with a history of travel in or transit through Papua New Guinea.
PNG faces a worsening crisis with hundreds of new cases recorded each day despite low testing rates. Pictured: Port Moresby general hospital
‘Currently the variant most commonly detected in travellers from Papua New Guinea is the B.1.466.2 lineage, which is not a lineage of concern.
‘This is the new name for the specific B.1 strain mentioned as circulating in PNG.’
PNG, which is just kilometres from Australia’s northernmost islands, faces a worsening Covid crisis with hundreds of new cases recorded each day despite low testing rates.
The country has now stepped up its restrictions as it battles to contain the virus.
Pubs, clubs and gaming sites have been ordered to close, in addition to tighter internal border controls, bans on large gatherings, school closures and mask wearing mandates imposed last week as infections spiked.
The Pacific nation reported 242 new cases as of Saturday, bringing total confirmed cases in the country to 3359. The death toll was 36.
PNG is in the grips of a dire Covid outbreak, with more than 3000 total cases reported
An Australian medical assistance team has arrived in PNG, with more personal protective equipment and ventilators also sent.
Meanwhile, more Australian-made coronavirus vaccines could be sent to PNG following the delivering of an initial 8480 doses of the AstraZeneca jab.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Frances Adamson said the government was aware of the urgency of the situation.
‘The possibility of some of Australia’s domestically produced stocks being able to be used for this purpose is certainly something that is live but yet formally to be decided by government,’ she said on Thursday.
Pharmaceutical giant CSL is contracted to manufacture 50 million AstraZeneca doses in Melbourne during the year.
Greens senator Janet Rice told a Senate estimates hearing there was an urgent and dire need for vaccines in Papua New Guinea.
‘We’ve got this absolute tragedy unfolding in PNG,’ she said.
Australian officials carry boxes containing some 8,000 initial doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine after touching down at Port Moresby airport in Papua New Guinea
Pharmaceutical giant CSL is contracted to manufacture 50 million AstraZeneca (pictured) doses in Melbourne during the year
Foreign Minister Marise Payne indicated cabinet would consider the issue of sending more Australian-made vaccines.
‘That is something which must be on the table,’ she said.
Australia has also pledged to redirect one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine ordered from Europe to PNG.
But there are doubts those vials will ever leave Europe where countries are desperately trying to hang on to domestic stocks.
Ms Adamson said all of Australia’s European missions were advocating for the plight of PNG in an effort to ensure the vaccines are released.
‘It’s not one of a long list of things we’re doing, it’s the top priority in Europe,’ she said.
DFAT’s Robin Davies said the PNG government was not expecting to be ready to rollout a mass vaccination campaign until mid-May.
‘There are genuine limitations,’ he said.
Almost 300,000 doses are expected to be delivered to PNG in April through the global COVAX arrangement for poorer nations.
